GO NEW MEXICO ESSENTIAL OVERLAND APP: Seeking plant identification Free iNaturalist-powered Seek app uses image recognition to help motorists and hikers name cacti, wildflowers and more A treelike cactus breaks the monotony of the desert, its branches like a candelabra reaching for the sky. At 65 mph along Interstate 40, just past Mojave National Monument in California and hundreds of miles north of Joshua Tree National Park, the scenery is a bit of a “Horse with No Name” blur. Our adventure crew wondered what this mystery plant could be. After snapping a picture and uploading it to the Seek app, we had our answer: “You observed a new species! Western Joshua Tree.” “Seek uses the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you,” according to the app’s description on the App store. Users can earn badges for spotting different types of plants, birds, fungi and more. Seek is to flora and fauna what Merlin is to birds. Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, plants and amphibians from millions of wildlife observations vetted by human botanists and experts, according to the app description. “Our image recognition technology is based on observations submitted to iNaturalist.org Share your favorite adventure apps and New Mexico adventure channel, rigs and panorama photos with us at go@abqjournal.com. GO NEW MEXICO ADVENTURES - Not a wasteland: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park showcases southern New Mexico desert - National parks documentary to screen at the KiMo - Fishing Line for May 14, 2026 - Water works: For summer boating New Mexicans can go to The Butte and beyond - ESSENTIAL GEAR: Shoulder-season trip tests camping gear limits A New Mexico overlander shares how a shoulder-season sprint to Sequoia and Joshua Tree led to broken equipment, improvised repairs and lessons for safer